Reducing power consumption through reduced measurement frequency

ABSTRACT

A method for reducing power consumption by a wireless communication device is disclosed. The method can include the wireless communication device performing a first measurement of an alternative cell during a first measurement gap; sending a first measurement report generated based on the first measurement to the serving cell; storing the first measurement report; determining a mobility state of the wireless communication device; comparing the mobility state to a mobility threshold criterion; resending the first measurement report to the serving network as a report for a second measurement gap in an instance in which the mobility state satisfies the mobility criterion; and performing a second measurement of the alternative cell during the second measurement gap and sending a second measurement report generated based on the second measurement to the serving cell in an instance in which the mobility state does not satisfy the mobility threshold criterion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/151,969, filed Jan. 10, 2014, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/751,900, filed on Jan. 13, 2013,both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

FIELD

The described embodiments relate generally to wireless communications.More particularly, the present embodiments relate to reducing powerconsumption through reduced measurement frequency.

BACKGROUND

A wireless communication device camped in connected mode on a servingcell can be configured with measurement gaps, which are time intervalsduring which the wireless communication device can tune away from theserving cell to measure a second cell. The wireless communication devicecan then send a measurement report to the serving network based on themeasurement of the second cell. The serving network can use themeasurement report as a basis for handover decisions.

Performing measurements during a measurement gap can be quite costly tothe wireless communication device in terms of power consumption. In thisregard, a wireless communication device may have to tune away from afrequency used by the serving cell and tune to a second frequency thatmay be used by a second cell and/or have to temporarily switch from astack for a radio access technology (RAT) that can be used by theserving cell to a stack that can be used for a second RAT that may beused by the second cell in order to perform measurement of the secondcell. The wireless communication device can then perform a measurementof the second cell before transitioning back to the serving cell. Thisprocess of tuning away from the serving cell to perform a measurement ofthe second cell and then returning to the serving cell can be intensivein terms of power consumption, which can limit battery life andnegatively impact user experience. However, in many cases, theperformance of measurements during measurement gaps does not yield anyadditional information beyond that known from a prior measurement.

SUMMARY

Some example embodiments disclosed herein reduce power consumption by awireless communication device through reduced measurement frequency.More particularly, some example embodiments provide a wirelesscommunication device configured to selectively determine whether toperform a measurement during a measurement gap based at least in part ona mobility state of the wireless communication device. In this regard,the wireless communication device of some such example embodiments cancompare a mobility state of the device to a mobility thresholdcriterion. If the mobility state satisfies the mobility thresholdcriterion, such as if the device is in a stationary state or not in arelatively high state of mobility, the device can resend a previousmeasurement report to the serving network without performing a newmeasurement, as a new measurement may not yield any significant newinformation. As such, power consumption can be saved by omittingperformance of a new measurement. However, if the mobility state doesnot satisfy the mobility threshold criterion, such as if the device ismoving, the wireless communication device of some example embodimentscan perform a new measurement during a measurement gap and can send anew measurement report generated based on the new measurement to theserving network, as the new measurement may yield new information.

This Summary is provided merely for purposes of summarizing some exampleembodiments so as to provide a basic understanding of some aspects ofthe disclosure. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the abovedescribed example embodiments are merely examples and should not beconstrued to narrow the scope or spirit of the disclosure in any way.Other embodiments, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, theprinciples of the described embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be readily understood by the following detaileddescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless communication system in accordance withsome example embodiments;

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an apparatus that can beimplemented on a wireless communication device in accordance with someexample embodiments;

FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for reducing powerconsumption through reduced measurement frequency in accordance withsome example embodiments;

FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of another example method for reducingpower consumption through reduced measurement frequency in accordancewith some example embodiments;

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for reducing powerconsumption through reduced inter-RAT (iRAT) measurement frequency inaccordance with some example embodiments;

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for reducing powerconsumption through reduced inter-frequency measurement frequency inaccordance with some example embodiments; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for determiningwhether to perform a new measurement based on both device mobility andcompliance with freshness criteria in accordance with some exampleembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to representative embodimentsillustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood thatthe following descriptions are not intended to limit the embodiments toone preferred embodiment. To the contrary, it is intended to coveralternatives, modifications, and equivalents as can be included withinthe spirit and scope of the described embodiments as defined by theappended claims.

Many measurement reporting schemes are network centric in the sense thathandover decisions can be decided by a serving base station based onmeasurement parameters that can be reported back by a wirelesscommunication device based on measurements that can be captured duringmeasurement gaps. For example, in Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks,A1/A2/A3/A4 and B1/B2 measurement reports can be reported to a servingevolved node B (eNB) to enable the eNB to make a handover decision.

As an example, in the case of inter-RAT (iRAT) measurements, thewireless communication device may have to use the appropriate stack forthe alternative RAT being measured in accordance with a measurementpattern that can be indicated by the serving base station. In thisregard, during a measurement gap, the wireless communication device cantransition to a stack associated with the alternative RAT to measure theparameters of a cell of the alternative RAT. The wireless communicationdevice can then generate a measurement report based on the measurementand send the measurement report to the serving base station.

For example, if a wireless communication device is on a fourthgeneration (4G) network cell and measures a third generation (3G)network cell during a measurement gap, then the wireless communicationdevice can perform the following steps:

-   -   (0) Loop over steps 1-4 as indicated by the eNB if the wireless        communication device is in a defined reference signal received        power (RSRP) range.    -   (1) Shut down (e.g., deactivate) the 4G radio frequency (RF)        stack.    -   (2) Activate the 3G RF stack, perform measurements of the 3G        network cell, and retain the measurement values.    -   (3) Shut down (e.g., deactivate) the 3G RF stack.    -   (4) Reactivate the 4G RF stack.    -   (5) Send the retained measurement values in case of the expiry        of a measurement report timer.

In 4G systems, a typical defined range for measurement gaps to betriggered is from −120 decibels (dB) to −90 dB, which can include thecomplete coverage area of a cell. This range can accordingly result inmeasurement gaps almost always being triggered during operation of awireless communication device. When measurement gaps are triggered,measurement gaps can occur periodically, such as every 40-80milliseconds in accordance with a schedule that can be configured by theserving base station. The periodicity of some types of measurementreports may be higher than others. In this regard, some types ofmeasurements can be performed and/or some times of measurement reportscan be sent more frequently than other types.

The performance of measurements can be costly in terms of powerconsumption, resulting in increased battery consumption by a wirelesscommunication device. However, a measurement often does not yield anynew information for forming a measurement report beyond informationknown from a previous measurement. For example, if a wirelesscommunication device has remained stationary, or has moved only arelatively small distance since a previous measurement, there may not bea difference of any significance between a new measurement and theprevious measurement.

Some example embodiments accordingly provide for reducing powerconsumption by a wireless communication device through reducedmeasurement frequency. More particularly, some example embodimentsprovide a wireless communication device configured to selectivelydetermine whether to perform a measurement during a measurement gapbased at least in part on a mobility state of the wireless communicationdevice. In this regard, the wireless communication device of someexample embodiments can compare a mobility state of the device to amobility threshold criterion. If the mobility state satisfies themobility threshold criterion, such as if the device is in a stationarystate or not in a relatively high state of mobility, the device canresend a previous measurement report to the serving network withoutperforming a new measurement, as a new measurement may not yield anysignificant new information. However, if the mobility state does notsatisfy the mobility threshold criterion, such as if the device ismoving, the wireless communication device of some example embodimentscan perform a new measurement during a measurement gap and can send anew measurement report generated based on the new measurement to theserving network, as the new measurement may yield new information. Suchexample embodiments can accordingly conserve power by reducing afrequency of measurements, as a wireless communication device inaccordance with such embodiments can avoid performing measurements in aninstance in which it is deemed based on the device's mobility state thata new measurement may not yield new information beyond information knownfrom a previous measurement.

These and other embodiments are discussed below with reference to FIGS.1-7. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that thedetailed description given herein with respect to these Figures is forexplanatory purposes only and should not be construed as limiting.

FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless communication system 100 in accordancewith some example embodiments. The wireless communication system 100 caninclude a wireless communication device 102. By way of non-limitingexample, the wireless communication device can be embodied as a cellularphone, such as a smart phone device, a tablet computing device, a laptopcomputing device, and/or other computing device that can be configuredto communicate over one or more cellular networks. The wirelesscommunication device 102 can be connected to a serving cell 104 of aserving network. In this regard, the wireless communication device 102can be in a connected mode, such as radio resource control (RRC)connected mode, on the serving network.

The serving cell 104 can implement any RAT that can be implemented bythe serving network. In some example embodiments, the serving cell 104can implement a 4G RAT, such as an LTE RAT (e.g., LTE, LTE-Advanced(LTE-A), or other LTE technology). As a further example, in some exampleembodiments, the serving cell 104 can implement a 3G RAT, such asWideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) or other Universal MobileTelecommunications System (UMTS) RAT, such as Time Division SynchronousCode Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA). As further examples of 3G RATsthat can be implemented by the serving cell 104, in some exampleembodiments, the serving cell 104 can implement a CDMA2000 RAT, such as1×RTT, or other RAT standardized by the Third Generation PartnershipProject 2 (3GPP2). As another example, in some example embodiments, theserving cell 104 can implement a second generation (2G) RAT, such as aGlobal System for Mobile Communications (GSM) RAT. It will beappreciated, however, that the foregoing example RATs are provided byway of example, and not by way of limitation. In this regard, it will beappreciated that the serving cell 104 can implement any present orfuture developed cellular RAT, including, for example, various fifthgeneration (5G) and beyond RATs.

The wireless communication device 102 can be configured by the servingcell 104 with measurement gaps in which the wireless communicationdevice 102 can measure other cells (e.g., neighbor cells) that can bewithin signaling range of the wireless communication device 102. Forexample, a base station associated with the serving cell 104 (e.g., theserving base station for the wireless communication device 102) canprovide the wireless communication device 102 with a measurement gapconfiguration. The configured measurement gaps can, for example, beprovisioned by and/or negotiated with the serving network. Themeasurement gaps can be configured to enable the wireless communicationdevice 102 to perform any of a variety of inter-cell measurements. Forexample, measurement gaps can be configured to enable the wirelesscommunication device 102 to perform measurements (e.g., inter-frequencymeasurements) of neighboring cells on the serving network. Additionallyor alternatively, measurement gaps can be configured to enable thewireless communication device 102 to perform iRAT measurements, in whichthe wireless communication device 102 can perform a measurement of acell on a network using a RAT other than the RAT used by the servingcell 104 and serving network.

The wireless communication device 102 can perform a measurement ofanother cell during a measurement gap and generate a measurement reportbased on the measurement and send the measurement report to the servingcell 104. The measurement report can be used by the serving cell 104 asa basis for determining whether to perform a handover of the wirelesscommunication device 102 to another cell. By way of non-limitingexample, an inter-frequency handover to a neighboring cell, an iRAThandover, and/or other type of handover can be performed in response toa measurement report indicative of a measurement performed during ameasurement gap.

The wireless communication device 102 can accordingly be within coveragerange of one or more further cells (e.g., neighbor cells of the servingcell 104), including alternative cell 106, which can be selectivelymeasured by the wireless communication device 102 in accordance with themethodology of one or more example embodiments. The alternative cell 106can implement any of a variety of cellular RATs. For example, in someexample embodiments, the alternative cell 106 can implement a 4G RAT,such as an LTE RAT (e.g., LTE, LTE-A, or other LTE technology). As afurther example, in some example embodiments, the alternative cell 106can implement a 3G RAT, such as WCDMA or other UMTS RAT, such asTD-SCDMA. As further examples of 3G RATs that can be implemented by thealternative cell 106, in some example embodiments, the alternative cell106 can implement a CDMA2000 RAT, such as 1×RTT, or other RATstandardized by 3GPP2. As another example, in some example embodiments,the alternative cell 106 can implement a 2G RAT, such as a GSM RAT. Itwill be appreciated, however, that the foregoing example RATs areprovided by way of example, and not by way of limitation. In thisregard, it will be appreciated that the alternative cell 106 canimplement any present or future developed cellular RAT, including, forexample, various 5G and beyond RATs.

In some example embodiments, the alternative cell 106 can use the sameRAT as used by the serving network (e.g., the same RAT as used by theserving cell 104). In this regard, in some example embodiments, thealternative cell 106 can be a neighboring cell of the serving cell 104on the serving network, and the wireless communication device 102 canperform a neighboring cell measurement, such as an inter-frequencymeasurement, of the alternative cell 106. Alternatively, in some exampleembodiments, the alternative cell 106 can be a cell on a network using aRAT other than that used by the serving network, and the wirelesscommunication device 102 can perform an iRAT measurement of thealternative cell 106.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an apparatus 200 that can beimplemented on a wireless communication device 102 in accordance withsome example embodiments. In this regard, when implemented on acomputing device, such as wireless communication device 102, apparatus200 can enable the computing device to operate within the system 100 inaccordance with one or more example embodiments. It will be appreciatedthat the components, devices or elements illustrated in and describedwith respect to FIG. 2 below may not be mandatory and thus some may beomitted in certain embodiments. Additionally, some embodiments caninclude further or different components, devices or elements beyondthose illustrated in and described with respect to FIG. 2.

In some example embodiments, the apparatus 200 can include processingcircuitry 210 that is configurable to perform actions in accordance withone or more example embodiments disclosed herein. In this regard, theprocessing circuitry 210 can be configured to perform and/or controlperformance of one or more functionalities of the apparatus 200 inaccordance with various example embodiments, and thus can provide meansfor performing functionalities of the wireless communication device 102in accordance with various example embodiments. The processing circuitry210 can be configured to perform data processing, application executionand/or other processing and management services according to one or moreexample embodiments.

In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 or a portion(s) or component(s)thereof, such as the processing circuitry 210, can include one or morechipsets, which can each include one or more chips. The processingcircuitry 210 and/or one or more further components of the apparatus 200can therefore, in some instances, be configured to implement anembodiment on a chipset comprising one or more chips. In some exampleembodiments in which one or more components of the apparatus 200 areembodied as a chipset, the chipset can be capable of enabling acomputing device to operate in the system 100 when implemented on orotherwise operably coupled to the computing device. Thus, for example,one or more components of the apparatus 200 can provide a cellularbaseband chipset configured to enable a computing device to establish aconnection on a cell, such as the serving cell 104 and/or thealternative cell 106, and/or to measure a cell, such as the alternativecell 106.

In some example embodiments, the processing circuitry 210 can include aprocessor 212 and, in some embodiments, such as that illustrated in FIG.2, can further include memory 214. The processing circuitry 210 can bein communication with or otherwise control a transceiver(s) 216 and/ormeasurement reporting module 218.

The processor 212 can be embodied in a variety of forms. For example,the processor 212 can be embodied as various hardware-based processingmeans such as a microprocessor, a coprocessor, a controller or variousother computing or processing devices including integrated circuits suchas, for example, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), anFPGA (field programmable gate array), some combination thereof, or thelike. Although illustrated as a single processor, it will be appreciatedthat the processor 212 can comprise a plurality of processors. Theplurality of processors can be in operative communication with eachother and can be collectively configured to perform one or morefunctionalities of the wireless communication device 102 as describedherein. In some example embodiments, the processor 212 can be configuredto execute instructions that can be stored in the memory 214 or that canbe otherwise accessible to the processor 212. As such, whetherconfigured by hardware or by a combination of hardware and software, theprocessor 212 can be capable of performing operations according tovarious embodiments while configured accordingly.

In some example embodiments, the memory 214 can include one or morememory devices. Memory 214 can include fixed and/or removable memorydevices. In some embodiments, the memory 214 can provide anon-transitory computer-readable storage medium that can store computerprogram instructions that can be executed by the processor 212. In thisregard, the memory 214 can be configured to store information, data,applications, instructions and/or the like for enabling the apparatus200 to carry out various functions in accordance with one or moreexample embodiments. In some embodiments, the memory 214 can be incommunication with one or more of the processor 212, transceiver(s) 216,or measurement reporting module 218 via a bus (or buses) for passinginformation among components of the apparatus 200.

The apparatus 200 can further include transceiver(s) 216. Thetransceiver(s) 216 can enable the apparatus 200 to send wireless signalsto and receive signals in accordance with one or more RATs. As such, thetransceiver(s) 216 can enable the apparatus 200 to connect to theserving cell 104 and to perform a measurement of the alternative cell106. As such, the transceiver(s) 216 can be configured to support anytype of RAT that can be implemented by the serving cell 104 and/or bythe alternative cell 106.

The apparatus 200 can further include measurement reporting module 218.The measurement reporting module 218 can be embodied as various means,such as circuitry, hardware, a computer program product comprising acomputer readable medium (for example, the memory 214) storing computerreadable program instructions executable by a processing device (forexample, the processor 212), or some combination thereof. In someembodiments, the processor 212 (or the processing circuitry 210) caninclude, or otherwise control the measurement reporting module 218.

The measurement reporting module 218 can be configured to selectivelydetermine whether to perform a measurement of the alternative cell 106during a measurement gap in accordance with various example embodiments,as described further herein below with respect to FIGS. 3-7. Themeasurement reporting module 218 can be further configured to generatemeasurement reports based on a measurement of the alternative cell 106and send such measurement reports to the serving network.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for reducing powerconsumption through reduced measurement frequency in accordance withsome example embodiments. In this regard, FIG. 3 illustrates operationsthat can be performed by the wireless communication device 102 inaccordance with various example embodiments. One or more of processingcircuitry 210, processor 212, memory 214, transceiver(s) 216, ormeasurement reporting module 218 can, for example, provide means forperforming the operations illustrated in and described with respect toFIG. 3.

When performing the method of FIG. 3, the wireless communication device102 can be connected to the serving cell 104 (e.g., the serving cell ofa serving network for the wireless communication device 102). In thisregard, the wireless communication device 102 can be in a connectedmode, such as radio resource control (RRC) connected mode, on theserving network.

Operation 300 can include the wireless communication device 102performing a first measurement of the alternative cell 106 during afirst measurement gap. The performed measurement can be any measurementof a signal quality that can be measured for a cell and can, forexample, vary based on a type of RAT that can be used by the alternativecell 106. By way of non-limiting example, the measurement that can beperformed at operation 300 can include a measurement of a receivedsignal strength indicator (RSSI), reference signal received power(RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), received signal codepower (RSCP), Ec/Io, and/or the like.

Operation 310 can include the wireless communication device 102 sendinga first measurement report generated based at least in part on themeasurement performed at operation 300 to the serving cell 104. In someexample embodiments, the wireless communication device 102 can maintainthe first measurement report and/or the measurement upon which the firstmeasurement report was based (e.g., the measurement performed inoperation 300) to enable resending of the first measurement reportwithout taking a further measurement of the alternative cell 106 at asubsequent measurement gap. For example, in some embodiments, thewireless communication device 102 can store a copy of the firstmeasurement report, such as in memory 214. The wireless communicationdevice 102 can additionally or alternatively save an indication of themeasurement parameter(s) resulting from the measurement of operation 300to allow regeneration of the first measurement report in the event thatthe wireless communication device 102 elects to resend the firstmeasurement report for a subsequent measurement gap without making asecond measurement of the alternative cell 106.

Operation 320 can include the wireless communication device 102determining a mobility state of the wireless communication device 102.The mobility state can be determined based at least in part on anymeasurement that can be indicative of a whether the wirelesscommunication device 102 is in a state of motion (e.g., a mobilitystate) and/or has moved some distance since the measurement of operation300 was made.

In some example embodiments, operation 320 can include determining achange in position of the wireless communication device since themeasurement of operation 300. For example, a positioning sensor (e.g., aGlobal Positioning Service and/or other satellite navigation servicesensor), accelerometer, and/or other sensor that can be implemented onthe wireless communication device 102 of some example embodiments can beused to determine an absolute and/or approximate change in position ofthe wireless communication device 102 since the measurement of operation300 in accordance with some such example embodiments.

Additionally or alternatively, in some example embodiments, operation320 can include determining a velocity of the wireless communicationdevice 102. The determined velocity can be an instantaneous velocity,average velocity, and/or other measurement of a velocity of the wirelesscommunication device 102 at a given point in time and/or over a periodof time. For example, a positioning sensor, accelerometer, and/or othersensor that can be implemented on the wireless communication device 102can be used to determine a velocity of motion of the wirelesscommunication device 102 in such example embodiments.

As yet another example, in some example embodiments, operation 320 canadditionally or alternatively include determining a mobility state ofthe wireless communication device 102 based at least in part on changein a measured signal quality (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, RSSI, RSCP, Ec/Io,and/or the like) of the serving cell 104 over a period of time. In thisregard, the magnitude of a change in signal quality of the servingcell—either an increase in signal quality or a decrease in signalquality—can be indicative of a degree of mobility of the wirelesscommunication device 102 since the measurement of operation 300.

Operation 330 can include the wireless communication device 102comparing the mobility state determined in operation 320 to a mobilitythreshold criterion and determining whether the mobility state satisfiesthe mobility threshold criterion. In this regard, the mobility thresholdcriterion can correspond to a mobility threshold such that if themobility state satisfies the mobility threshold criterion, mobility ofthe wireless communication device does not exceed the mobilitythreshold.

For example, if the determined mobility state is an absolute change inposition of the wireless communication device 102, operation 330 caninclude determining whether the change in position does exceeds amaximum threshold change in position. If the change in position does notexceed the maximum threshold change in position, the mobility state canbe deemed to satisfy the mobility threshold criterion.

As another example, if the determined mobility state is a velocity ofthe wireless communication device 102, operation 330 can includedetermining whether the velocity exceeds a maximum threshold velocity.If the velocity does not exceed the maximum threshold velocity, themobility state can be deemed to satisfy the mobility thresholdcriterion.

As still a further example, if the determined mobility state is based ona change in a measured signal quality of the serving cell 104, operation330 can determine whether the change in measured signal quality exceedsa threshold change in signal quality (e.g., a maximum thresholddeviation in signal quality). If the change in measured signal qualitydoes not exceed the threshold change in signal quality, then themobility state can be deemed to satisfy the mobility thresholdcriterion. As both an increased signal quality and a decreased signalquality can be indicative of mobility, the threshold change in signalquality can be compared to the absolute value of the change in measuredsignal quality such that the magnitude of the change in measured signalquality can be compared to the threshold change in signal quality. Inthis regard, if the magnitude of the change in signal quality does notexceed the threshold change in signal quality, then the mobility statecan be deemed to satisfy the mobility threshold criterion.

The mobility threshold criterion can be defined based at least in parton whether performance of a second measurement is likely to yield anyadditional information (e.g., a change in a measured parameter of thealternative cell 106). In this regard, if a mobility state of thewireless communication device 102 is not such that a second measurementis likely to reflect a deviation in a measured parameter of a level thatmay be of significance to the serving network in making a handoverdecision, then performance of another measurement during an ensuingmeasurement gap can be avoided, and the wireless communication device102 can resend a previously sent measurement report to the servingnetwork. The resulting reduction in the number of measurements canaccordingly reduce power consumption and can accordingly prolong batterylife.

In an instance in which it is determined at operation 330 that themobility state does satisfy the mobility threshold criterion, the methodcan proceed to operation 340, which can include the wirelesscommunication device 102 resending the first measurement report to theserving cell 104 as a report for a second measurement gap. In thisregard, if the wireless communication device 102 has maintained a copyof the first measurement report, the wireless communication device 102can resend the stored copy. Additionally or alternatively, the wirelesscommunication device 102 can regenerate the first measurement based atleast in part on a saved indication of the measurement parameter(s)resulting from the measurement of operation 300.

As such, power can be conserved by not performing a second measurementfor the second measurement gap, and perhaps even for further measurementgaps, in an instance in which a mobility state of the wirelesscommunication device 102 since the measurement of operation 300satisfies a mobility threshold criterion. In particular, power can beconserved by avoiding performing operations that may be performed inorder to enable measurement of the alternative cell 106. For example, inthe case of an iRAT measurement in which the alternative cell 106 uses adifferent RAT than the serving cell 104, transitioning from a firststack associated with the RAT used by the serving cell 104 to a secondstack associated with the RAT used by the alternative cell andtransitioning back to the first stack after performance of themeasurement can be avoided. As another example, in the case of aninter-frequency measurement in which the alternative cell 106 is aneighbor using a different frequency than the serving cell 104, tuningthe transceiver(s) 216 from a first frequency used by the serving cell104 to a second frequency used by the alternative cell 106 and tuningback to the first frequency after performance of the measurement can beavoided. However, as a measurement report can still be sent (e.g., theresent first measurement report) for the second measurement gap inoperation 340, the wireless communication device 102 can still sendmeasurement reports in accordance with a measurement gap configuration,and behavior of the wireless communication device 102 can appearunaltered from the network perspective.

If, however, it is determined at operation 330 that the mobility statedoes not satisfy the mobility threshold criterion, the method canproceed to operation 350 in lieu of operation 340. Operation 350 caninclude the wireless communication device 102 performing a secondmeasurement of the alternative cell 106 during the second measurementgap and sending a second measurement report generated based at least inpart on the second measurement to the serving cell 104. Thus, forexample, in an instance in which a mobility state indicates that a newmeasurement can yield additional information that can be of value to theserving network in making a handover decision, the wirelesscommunication device 102 can perform a new measurement and send a newmeasurement report for an ensuing measurement gap.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of another example method for reducingpower consumption through reduced measurement frequency in accordancewith some example embodiments. In this regard, FIG. 4 illustratesoperations that can be performed by the wireless communication device102 in accordance with various example embodiments. One or more ofprocessing circuitry 210, processor 212, memory 214, transceiver(s) 216,or measurement reporting module 218 can, for example, provide means forperforming the operations illustrated in and described with respect toFIG. 4.

Operation 400 can include the wireless communication device 102connecting to the serving cell 104 of the serving network. In thisregard, the wireless communication device 102 can be in a connectedmode, such as RRC connected mode, on the serving network.

Operation 410 can include the wireless communication device 102performing a first measurement of the alternative cell 106 during afirst measurement gap. The performed measurement can be any measurementof a signal quality that can be measured for a cell and can, forexample, vary based on a type of Rat that can be used by the alternativecell 106. By way of non-limiting example, the measurement that can beperformed at operation 410 can include a measurement of an RSSI, RSRP,RSRQ, RSCP, Ec/Io, and/or the like. In this regard, operation 410 can,for example, correspond to an embodiment of operation 300.

Operation 420 can include the wireless communication device 102 sendinga first measurement report generated based at least in part on themeasurement performed at operation 410 to the serving cell 104. In thisregard, operation 420 can, for example, correspond to an embodiment ofoperation 310.

In some example embodiments, the wireless communication device 102 canmaintain the first measurement report to enable resending of the firstmeasurement report without taking a further measurement of thealternative cell 106 at a subsequent measurement gap. In the examplemethod illustrated in FIG. 4, the method can accordingly includeoperation 430, which can include the wireless communication device 102storing the first measurement report, such as in the memory 214. It willbe appreciated, however, that the wireless communication device 102 canadditionally or alternatively save an indication of the measurementparameters resulting from the measurement of operation 410 to allowregeneration of the first measurement report in the event that thewireless communication device 102 elects to resend the first measurementreport for a subsequent measurement gap without making a secondmeasurement of the alternative cell 106.

Operation 440 can include the wireless communication device 102determining a mobility state of the wireless communication device 102.The mobility state can be determined based at least in part on anymeasurement that can be indicative of a whether the wirelesscommunication device 102 is in a state of motion (e.g., a mobilitystate) and/or has moved some distance since the measurement of operation410 was made. In this regard, operation 440 can, for example, correspondto an embodiment of operation 320.

For example, in some example embodiments, operation 440 can includeusing a positioning sensor (e.g., a Global Positioning Service sensor),accelerometer, and/or other sensor that can be implemented on thewireless communication device 102 to determine an absolute change inposition of the wireless communication device 102 since the measurementof operation 410. Additionally or alternatively, in some exampleembodiments, operation 440 can include using a positioning sensor,accelerometer, and/or other sensor that can be implemented on thewireless communication device 102 to determine a velocity (e.g., aninstantaneous velocity and/or average velocity) of motion of thewireless communication device 102 at a point in time and/or over aperiod of time. As yet another example, in some example embodiments,operation 440 can include the wireless communication device 102 candetermining a mobility state of the wireless communication device 102based at least in part on change in a measured signal quality (e.g.,RSRP, RSRQ, RSSI, RSCP, Ec/Io, and/or the like) of the serving cell 104over a period of time.

Operation 450 can include the wireless communication device 102comparing the determined mobility state to a mobility thresholdcriterion and determining whether the mobility state satisfies themobility threshold criterion. For example, if the determined mobilitystate is an absolute change in position of the wireless communicationdevice 102, operation 450 can include determining whether the change inposition does exceeds a maximum threshold change in position. If thechange in position does not exceed the maximum threshold change inposition, the mobility state can be deemed to satisfy the mobilitythreshold criterion. As another example, if the determined mobilitystate is a velocity of the wireless communication device 102, operation450 can include determining whether the velocity exceeds a maximumthreshold velocity. If the velocity does not exceed the maximumthreshold velocity, the mobility state can be deemed to satisfy themobility threshold criterion. As still a further example, if thedetermined mobility state is based on a change in a measured signalquality of the serving cell 104, operation 450 can determine whether thechange in measured signal quality exceeds a threshold change in signalquality. If the change in measured signal quality does not exceed thethreshold change in signal quality, then the mobility state can bedeemed to satisfy the mobility threshold criterion. Operation 450 canaccordingly correspond to an embodiment of operation 330.

In an instance in which it is determined at operation 450 that themobility state does satisfy the mobility threshold criterion, the methodcan proceed to operation 460, which can include the wirelesscommunication device resending the first measurement report to theserving cell 104 as a report for a second measurement gap. As such,power can be conserved by not performing a second measurement for thesecond measurement gap, and perhaps even for further measurement gaps,in an instance in which a mobility state of the wireless communicationdevice 102 since the measurement of operation 410 satisfies a mobilitythreshold criterion. Operation 460 can, for example, correspond to anembodiment of operation 340.

The mobility threshold criterion can be defined based at least in parton whether performance of a second measurement is likely to yield anyadditional information (e.g., a change in a measured parameter of thealternative cell 106). In this regard, if a mobility state of thewireless communication device 102 is not such that a second measurementis likely to reflect a deviation in a measured parameter of a level thatmay be of significance to the serving network in making a handoverdecision, then performance of another measurement during an ensuingmeasurement gap can be avoided, and the wireless communication device102 can resend a previously sent measurement report to the servingnetwork. The resulting reduction in the number of measurements canaccordingly reduce power consumption and can accordingly prolong batterylife.

If, however, it is determined at operation 450 that the mobility statedoes not satisfy the mobility threshold criterion, the method canproceed to operation 470 in lieu of operation 460. Operation 470 caninclude the wireless communication device 102 performing a secondmeasurement of the alternative cell 106 during the second measurementgap and sending a second measurement report generated based at least inpart on the second measurement to the serving cell 104. Thus, forexample, in an instance in which a mobility state indicates that a newmeasurement can yield additional information that can be of value to theserving network in making a handover decision, the wirelesscommunication device 102 can perform a new measurement and send a newmeasurement report for an ensuing measurement gap. Operation 470 can,for example, correspond to an embodiment of operation 350.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for reducing powerconsumption through reduced iRAT measurement frequency in accordancewith some example embodiments. In this regard, FIG. 5 illustrates anexample embodiment of some embodiments of the method FIG. 3 and/or ofthe method of FIG. 4 in which the alternative cell 106 uses a differentRAT than the serving cell 104. One or more of processing circuitry 210,processor 212, memory 214, transceiver(s) 216, or measurement reportingmodule 218 can, for example, provide means for performing the operationsillustrated in and described with respect to FIG. 5. When performing themethod of FIG. 5, the wireless communication device 102 can be connectedto a serving cell, which uses a first RAT.

Operation 500 can include the wireless communication device 102performing a first iRAT measurement of an alternative cell using asecond RAT during a first measurement gap. Operation 500 can, forexample, correspond to an embodiment of operation 300 and/or ofoperation 410. In order to perform the measurement, the wirelesscommunication device 102 can deactivate (e.g., shut down) a stackassociated with the first RAT and activate a stack associated with thesecond RAT. The measurement can be performed while the stack associatedwith the second RAT is activated. After performing the measurement andretaining the measurement value(s), the wireless communication device102 can deactivate (e.g., shut down) the stack associated with thesecond RAT and reactivate the stack associated with the first RAT.

Operation 510 can include the wireless communication device 102 sendinga first iRAT measurement report generated based at least in part on thefirst iRAT measurement to the serving cell. In this regard, operation510 can, for example, correspond to an embodiment of operation 310and/or of operation 420.

Operation 520 can include the wireless communication device 102determining a mobility state of the wireless communication device 102.By way of example, operation 520 can correspond to an embodiment ofoperation 320 and/or of operation 440, and can include determining anyof the mobility state indicators described above with respect tooperations 320 and 440.

Operation 530 can include the wireless communication device 102comparing the determined mobility state to a mobility thresholdcriterion and determining whether the mobility state satisfies themobility threshold criterion. In this regard, operation 530 can, forexample, correspond to an embodiment of operation 330 and/or ofoperation 450.

In an instance in which it is determined at operation 530 that themobility state satisfies the mobility threshold criterion, the methodcan include performing operations 540-550. Operations 540-550 can, forexample, collectively correspond to an embodiment of operation 340and/or of operation 460.

Operation 540 can include the wireless communication device 102maintaining the stack associated with the second RAT in a deactivatedstate during a second measurement gap. In this regard, power can beconserved by omitting transitioning to the second stack to perform a newmeasurement during the second measurement gap. In some exampleembodiments, the stack associated with the first RAT can be deactivatedduring the second measurement gap to achieve further power savings.Operation 550 can include the wireless communication device 102resending the first iRAT measurement report to the serving cell as ameasurement report for the second measurement gap.

If, however, it is determined at operation 530 that the mobility statedoes not satisfy the mobility threshold criterion, the method caninstead include performing operations 560-590, and operations 540-550can be omitted. Operations 560-590 can, for example, collectivelycorrespond to an embodiment of operation 350 and/or of operation 470.

Operation 560 can include the wireless communication device 102transitioning from the stack associated with the first RAT to the stackassociated with the second RAT during the second measurement gap. Inthis regard, operation 560 can include deactivating (e.g., shuttingdown) the stack associated with the first RAT and activating the stackassociated with the second RAT. Operation 570 can include the wirelesscommunication device 102 performing a second iRAT measurement of thealternative cell during the second measurement gap.

Operation 580 can include the wireless communication device 102transitioning back to the stack associated with the first RAT afterperforming the second iRAT measurement. In this regard, operation 580can include deactivating (e.g., shutting down) the stack associated withthe second RAT and reactivating the stack associated with the first RAT.Operation 590 can include the wireless communication device 102 sendinga second iRAT measurement report generated based at least in part on thesecond iRAT measurement to the serving cell as a measurement report forthe second measurement gap.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for reducing powerconsumption through reduced inter-frequency measurement frequency inaccordance with some example embodiments. In this regard, FIG. 6illustrates an example embodiment of some embodiments of the method FIG.3 and/or of the method of FIG. 4 in which the alternative cell 106 usesa different frequency than the serving cell 104. One or more ofprocessing circuitry 210, processor 212, memory 214, transceiver(s) 216,or measurement reporting module 218 can, for example, provide means forperforming the operations illustrated in and described with respect toFIG. 6. When performing the method of FIG. 6, the wireless communicationdevice 102 can be connected to a serving cell, which uses a firstfrequency.

Operation 600 can include the wireless communication device 102performing a first inter-frequency measurement of an alternative cell,which uses a second frequency that is different than the first frequencyused by the serving cell, during a first measurement gap. Operation 600can, for example, correspond to an embodiment of operation 300 and/or ofoperation 410. In order to perform the measurement, the wirelesscommunication device 102 can tune from the frequency associated with theserving cell (e.g., “the first frequency”) to the frequency associatedwith the alternative cell (e.g., “the second frequency”). Themeasurement can be performed while tuned to the second frequency. Afterperforming the measurement and retaining the measurement value(s), thewireless communication device 102 can tune back to the first frequency.

Operation 610 can include the wireless communication device 102 sendinga first inter-frequency measurement report generated based at least inpart on the first inter-frequency measurement to the serving cell. Inthis regard, operation 610 can, for example, correspond to an embodimentof operation 310 and/or of operation 420.

Operation 620 can include the wireless communication device 102determining a mobility state of the wireless communication device 102.By way of example, operation 620 can correspond to an embodiment ofoperation 320 and/or of operation 440, and can include determining anyof the mobility state indicators described above with respect tooperations 320 and 440.

Operation 630 can include the wireless communication device 102comparing the determined mobility state to a mobility thresholdcriterion and determining whether the mobility state satisfies themobility threshold criterion. In this regard, operation 630 can, forexample, correspond to an embodiment of operation 330 and/or ofoperation 450.

In an instance in which it is determined at operation 630 that themobility state satisfies the mobility threshold criterion, the methodcan include performing operations 640-650. Operations 640-650 can, forexample, collectively correspond to an embodiment of operation 340and/or of operation 460.

Operation 640 can include the wireless communication device 102 omittingtuning to the second frequency during a second measurement gap. In thisregard, power can be conserved by omitting transitioning betweenfrequencies and performing a new measurement. Operation 650 can includethe wireless communication device 102 resending the firstinter-frequency measurement report to the serving cell as a measurementreport for the second measurement gap.

If, however, it is determined at operation 630 that the mobility statedoes not satisfy the mobility threshold criterion, the method caninstead include performing operations 660-690, and operations 640-650can be omitted. Operations 660-690 can, for example, collectivelycorrespond to an embodiment of operation 350 and/or of operation 470.

Operation 660 can include the wireless communication device 102 tuningfrom the first frequency to the second frequency. Operation 670 caninclude the wireless communication device 102 performing a secondinter-frequency measurement of the alternative cell during the secondmeasurement gap while tuned to the second frequency. Operation 680 caninclude the wireless communication device 102 tuning back to the firstfrequency after performing the second inter-frequency measurement.Operation 690 can include the wireless communication device 102 sendinga second inter-frequency measurement report generated based at least inpart on the second inter-frequency measurement to the serving cell as ameasurement report for the second measurement gap.

In some example embodiments, freshness criteria can be applied to aprevious measurement, even if a mobility state of the wirelesscommunication device 102 continues to satisfy the mobility thresholdcriterion over a number of configured measurement gaps. For example, insome embodiments, there can be defined a maximum number, n, measurementgaps for which a previously sent measurement report can be resent. Thus,for example, if, the wireless communication device 102 has sent the samemeasurement report n consecutive measurement periods, or has otherwisegone n measurement gaps without performing a new measurement, thewireless communication device 102 can perform a new measurement and senda new measurement report to the serving network even if the mobilitystate of the wireless communication device 102 continues to satisfy themobility threshold criterion. The application of freshness criteria inaccordance with such example embodiments can be combined with thetechniques illustrated in and described with respect to the methods ofone or more of FIGS. 3-6.

In some example embodiments, a quality of the mobility state of thewireless communication device 102 can be used by the wirelesscommunication device 102 to define a number of consecutive measurementgaps for which performing a new measurement can be omitted. In thisregard, telescopic intervals between measurements can be applied basedon a quality of a mobility state in some example embodiments. Forexample, if the wireless communication device 102 has remainedsubstantially stationary for at least a first threshold period of time(e.g., 1 minute), then the wireless communication device 102 can performa new measurement of the alternative cell 106 every n measurement gaps.However, if the wireless communication device 102 has remainedsubstantially stationary for at least a second threshold period of time,with the second threshold period of time being greater than the firstthreshold period of time (e.g., 5 minutes), the wireless communicationdevice 102 can perform a new measurement of the alternative cell 106every m measurement gaps, where m can be greater than n.

As another example, if the wireless communication device 102 is in amobility state, a degree of mobility of the wireless communicationdevice 102 can be used to determine a minimum measurement frequency anddefine a maximum number of measurement gaps for which a previously sentmeasurement report can be resent. For example, if a velocity of thewireless communication device 102 is less than a threshold velocity, thewireless communication device 102 of some embodiments can perform a newmeasurement of the alternative cell 106 at least every n measurementgaps, whereas if the velocity exceeds the threshold velocity, thewireless communication device 102 of such embodiments can perform a newmeasurement of the alternative cell at least every m measurement gaps,wherein m can be less than n. It will be appreciated that in suchembodiments, a series of thresholds can be applied such that morefrequent measurements can be performed with an increasing degree ofmobility.

Accordingly, the wireless communication device 102 of some exampleembodiments can be configured to apply its own measurement gap wakeuppattern based at least in part on the mobility state of the device toselectively determine whether to perform a new measurement during ameasurement gap. The resulting decrease in frequency of performingmeasurements can accordingly reduce power consumption by the wirelesscommunication device through elimination of performing measurements insituations in which it can be deemed that performing a new measurementcan be unnecessary.

FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for determiningwhether to perform a new measurement based on both device mobility andcompliance with freshness criteria in accordance with some exampleembodiments. In this regard, FIG. 7 illustrates operations that can beperformed by the wireless communication device 102 in accordance withvarious example embodiments. One or more of processing circuitry 210,processor 212, memory 214, transceiver(s) 216, or measurement reportingmodule 218 can, for example, provide means for performing the operationsillustrated in and described with respect to FIG. 7.

When performing the method of FIG. 7, the wireless communication device102 can be connected to the serving cell 104. Operation 700 can includethe wireless communication device 102 determining a mobility state ofthe wireless communication device 102. In this regard, operation 700can, for example, correspond to an embodiment of one or more ofoperation 320, operation 440, operation 520, or operation 620. As such,the mobility state can be determined for a point in time and/or for aperiod following the performance of a prior measurement of alternativecell 106.

Operation 710 can include the wireless communication device 102determining whether the mobility state satisfies a mobility thresholdcriterion. In this regard, operation 710 can, for example, correspond toan embodiment of one or more of operation 330, operation 450, operation530, or operation 630.

In an instance in which it is determined at operation 710 that themobility state does not satisfy the mobility threshold criterion, themethod can proceed to operation 720, which can include the wirelesscommunication device 102 performing a new measurement of the alternativecell 106 during the measurement gap and sending a new measurement reportgenerated based at least in part on the new measurement to the servingcell 104. Operation 720 can, for example, correspond to an embodiment ofone or more of operation 350, operation 470, operations 560-590, oroperations 660-690.

If, however, it is determined at operation 710 that the mobility statedoes satisfy the mobility threshold criterion, the method can insteadproceed to operation 730, which can include determining whether theprior measurement report (e.g., the measurement report sent/resent forthe previous measurement gap) has been resent for a maximum thresholdnumber of measurement gaps (e.g., a maximum threshold number ofconsecutive measurement gaps). The maximum threshold number ofmeasurement gaps can, for example, be defined by the wirelesscommunication device 102 based at least in part on the mobility state ofthe wireless communication device 102, as described above.

In an instance in which it is determined at operation 730 that the priormeasurement report has been resent for a maximum threshold number ofmeasurement gaps, the method can proceed to operation 720 such that anew measurement can be performed to ensure freshness in case conditionshave changed since the prior measurement even though the mobility stateof the wireless communication device 102 satisfies the mobilitythreshold criterion.

If, however, it is determined at operation 730 that the priormeasurement report has not been resent for a maximum threshold number ofmeasurement gaps, the method can instead proceed to operation 740, whichcan include the wireless communication device 102 resending the priormeasurement report to the serving cell as a measurement report for themeasurement gap. the wireless communication device 102 can additionallyincrement a count of the number of times the prior measurement reporthas been resent such that the wireless communication device 102 canevaluate at the next measurement gap whether the measurement report hasbeen resent for the maximum threshold number of measurement gaps(operation 730) in the event that the mobility state of the wirelesscommunication device 102 continues to satisfy the mobility thresholdcriterion at the next measurement gap.

The various aspects, embodiments, implementations or features of thedescribed embodiments can be used separately or in any combination.Various aspects of the described embodiments can be implemented bysoftware, hardware or a combination of hardware and software. Thedescribed embodiments can also be embodied as a computer readable medium(or mediums) storing computer readable code including instructions thatcan be performed by one or more computing devices. The computer readablemedium may be associated with any data storage device that can storedata which can thereafter be read by a computer system. Examples of thecomputer readable medium include read-only memory, random-access memory,CD-ROMs, HDDs, DVDs, magnetic tape, and optical data storage devices.The computer readable medium can also be distributed overnetwork-coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code maybe stored and executed in a distributed fashion.

In the foregoing detailed description, reference was made to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of the description and in whichare shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in accordancewith the described embodiments. Although these embodiments are describedin sufficient detail to enable one skilled in the art to practice thedescribed embodiments, it is understood that these examples are notlimiting; such that other embodiments may be used, and changes may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the describedembodiments. For example, it will be appreciated that the ordering ofoperations illustrated in the flowcharts is non-limiting, such that theordering of two or more operations illustrated in and described withrespect to a flowchart can be changed in accordance with some exampleembodiments. As another example, it will be appreciated that in someembodiments, one or more operations illustrated in and described withrespect to a flowchart can be optional, and can be omitted.

Further, the foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, usedspecific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of thedescribed embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled inthe art that the specific details are not required in order to practicethe described embodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specificembodiments are presented for purposes of illustration and description.The description of and examples disclosed with respect to theembodiments presented in the foregoing description are provided solelyto add context and aid in the understanding of the describedembodiments. The description is not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the described embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It willbe apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications,alternative applications, and variations are possible in view of theabove teachings. In this regard, one of ordinary skill in the art willreadily appreciate that the described embodiments may be practicedwithout some or all of these specific details. Further, in someinstances, well known process steps have not been described in detail inorder to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the described embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for reducing power consumption throughreduced measurement frequency by a wireless device, the methodcomprising: by an apparatus of the wireless device: performing a firstmeasurement of an alternative cell during a first measurement gap;generating a first measurement report for the first measurement gapbased at least in part on the first measurement of the alternative cell;determining a mobility state of the wireless device, wherein themobility state indicates a state of motion of the wireless device;comparing the mobility state to a mobility threshold criterion, whereinthe mobility state satisfies the mobility threshold criterion whenmobility of the wireless device does not exceed a mobility threshold; inan instance in which the mobility state satisfies the mobility thresholdcriterion for less than a threshold period of time, reusing the firstmeasurement report as a measurement report for a second measurement gap;and in an instance in which (i) the mobility state does not satisfy themobility threshold criterion or (ii) the mobility state satisfies themobility threshold criterion for at least the threshold period of time,performing a second measurement of the alternative cell during thesecond measurement gap and generating a second measurement report basedat least in part on the second measurement of the alternative cell,wherein the threshold period of time corresponds to a maximum thresholdnumber of consecutive measurement gaps.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein: determining the mobility state of the wireless device comprisesdetermining a change in position of the wireless device sinceperformance of the first measurement; the mobility threshold criterioncomprises a threshold change in position; and the mobility statesatisfies the mobility threshold criterion in an instance in which thechange in position of the wireless device since performance of the firstmeasurement does not exceed the threshold change in position.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein: determining the mobility state of thewireless device comprises determining a velocity of the wireless device;the mobility threshold criterion comprises a threshold velocity; and themobility state satisfies the mobility threshold criterion in an instancein which the velocity of the wireless device does not exceed thethreshold velocity.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein: determining themobility state of the wireless device comprises determining a change insignal quality of a serving cell; the mobility threshold criterioncomprises a threshold change in signal quality; and the mobility statesatisfies the mobility threshold criterion in an instance in which thechange in signal quality of the serving cell does not exceed thethreshold change in signal quality.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein: aserving network of the wireless device uses a first radio accesstechnology (RAT), the alternative cell uses a second RAT, and the firstmeasurement report comprises an inter-RAT (iRAT) measurement report. 6.The method of claim 5, further comprising: by the apparatus of thewireless device: maintaining a second stack associated with the secondRAT in a deactivated state during the second measurement gap in aninstance in which the mobility state satisfies the mobility thresholdcriterion; and transitioning from a first stack associated with thefirst RAT to the second stack associated with the second RAT during thesecond measurement gap in an instance in which the mobility state doesnot satisfy the mobility threshold criterion.
 7. The method of claim 5,wherein: the first RAT is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) RAT, and thesecond RAT is a second generation (2G) RAT or a third generation (3G)RAT.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein: the alternative cell comprises aneighboring cell of a serving network, and the first measurement reportcomprises an inter-frequency measurement report.
 9. The method of claim1, further comprising: by the apparatus of the wireless device: definingthe maximum threshold number of consecutive measurement gaps based atleast in part on the mobility state of the wireless device.
 10. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the apparatus generates measurement reportswhile the wireless device operates in a connected mode on a servingnetwork.
 11. An apparatus configurable for reducing power consumption ofa wireless device, the apparatus comprising processing circuitryconfigured to cause the wireless device to: perform a first measurementof an alternative cell during a first measurement gap; generate a firstmeasurement report for the first measurement gap based at least in parton the first measurement of the alternative cell; determine a mobilitystate of the wireless device, wherein the mobility state indicates astate of motion of the wireless device; compare the mobility state to amobility threshold criterion; in an instance in which the mobility statesatisfies the mobility threshold criterion for less than a thresholdperiod of time, reuse the first measurement report as a measurementreport for a second measurement gap; and in an instance in which (i) themobility state does not satisfy the mobility threshold criterion or (ii)the mobility state satisfies the mobility threshold criterion for atleast the threshold period of time, perform a second measurement of thealternative cell during the second measurement gap and generate a secondmeasurement report based at least in part on the second measurement ofthe alternative cell, wherein the threshold period of time correspondsto a maximum threshold number of consecutive measurement gaps.
 12. Theapparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is furtherconfigured to cause the wireless device to: determine the mobility stateof the wireless device at least in part by determining a change inposition of the wireless device since performance of the firstmeasurement; wherein: the mobility threshold criterion comprises athreshold change in position; and the mobility state satisfies themobility threshold criterion in an instance in which the change inposition of the wireless device since performance of the firstmeasurement does not exceed the threshold change in position.
 13. Theapparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is furtherconfigured to cause the wireless device to: determine the mobility stateof the wireless device at least in part by determining a velocity of thewireless device; wherein: the mobility threshold criterion comprises athreshold velocity; and the mobility state satisfies the mobilitythreshold criterion in an instance in which the velocity of the wirelessdevice does not exceed the threshold velocity.
 14. The apparatus ofclaim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured tocause the wireless device to: determine the mobility state of thewireless device at least in part by determining a change in signalquality of a serving cell; wherein: the mobility threshold criterioncomprises a threshold change in signal quality; and the mobility statesatisfies the mobility threshold criterion in an instance in which thechange in signal quality of the serving cell does not exceed thethreshold change in signal quality.
 15. The apparatus of claim 11,wherein: a serving network of the wireless device uses a first radioaccess technology (RAT), the alternative cell uses a second RAT, and thefirst measurement report comprises an inter-RAT (iRAT) measurementreport.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processing circuitryis further configured to cause the wireless device to: maintain a secondstack associated with the second RAT in a deactivated state during thesecond measurement gap in an instance in which the mobility statesatisfies the mobility threshold criterion; and transition from a firststack associated with the first RAT to the second stack associated withthe second RAT during the second measurement gap in an instance in whichthe mobility state does not satisfy the mobility threshold criterion.17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein: the alternative cell comprises aneighboring cell of a serving network, and the first measurement reportcomprises an inter-frequency measurement report.
 18. The apparatus ofclaim 11, wherein the maximum threshold number of consecutivemeasurement gaps is based at least in part on the mobility state of thewireless device.
 19. A non-transitory computer readable storage mediumhaving computer program code stored thereon that, when executed byprocessing circuitry implemented on a wireless device, causes thewireless device to perform a method comprising: performing a firstmeasurement of an alternative cell during a first measurement gap;generating a first measurement report based at least in part on thefirst measurement; determining a mobility state of the wireless device,wherein the mobility state indicates a state of motion of the wirelessdevice; comparing the mobility state to a mobility threshold criterion;in an instance in which the mobility state satisfies the mobilitythreshold criterion for less than a threshold period of time, reusingthe first measurement report as a measurement report for a secondmeasurement gap; and in an instance in which (i) the mobility state doesnot satisfy the mobility threshold criterion or (ii) the mobility statesatisfies the mobility threshold criterion for at least the thresholdperiod of time, performing a second measurement of the alternative cellduring the second measurement gap and generating a second measurementreport based at least in part on the second measurement of thealternative cell, wherein the threshold period of time corresponds to amaximum threshold number of consecutive measurement gaps.
 20. Thenon-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein themaximum threshold number of consecutive measurement gaps is based atleast in part on the mobility state of the wireless device.